Uber Bets Billions on Self-Driving Future

Uber Technologies is undergoing a major transformation centered on autonomous vehicles and robots. The ride-hailing giant is developing a platform where autonomous partners can integrate their self-driving cars and robots, leveraging Uber's existing 208 million monthly active customers. This strategy allows Uber to maintain its asset-light business model by taking a commission on each ride without incurring the massive costs of developing its own autonomous fleet.

Currently, autonomous vehicles are active on Uber's platform in seven cities. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced plans to more than double this to 15 cities by the end of 2026. To facilitate this expansion, Uber will invest approximately $10 billion over the next few years to help its partners scale their autonomous vehicle deployments. In the second quarter of 2026, Uber’s gross bookings totaled $58 billion, with $25 billion paid to its 10.2 million drivers.